Dangerous ground

As PS Audio’s YouTube channel grows in popularity it brings to the forefront some rather heated comments. And that is putting it mildly. Try as I might to maintain a calm approach to the daily videos I routinely manage to trod on dangerous ground by challenging people’s beliefs. I think of it as teaching. Others think of it as threatening.

But why? Why do some feel threatened about ideas and concepts that run counter to their own? Threatened to the point of angry outbursts (fight response), or threatened to the point of dismissal and head-in-the-sand reaction (flight response).

It’s remarkable how passionate people get when it comes to something as innocuous as the reproduction of sound. It’s not as if we’re talking about religion or politics. My words often spark flurries of emotion from some of the most normally quiet people: engineers, wanna be techies, stereo lovers, amateur recordists, musicians, and “Joe Average” consumers of low-fi stereo equipment.

I think all of this is good even though many of the comments directed at me are often painful to read. And that’s ok because I understand the intent of their words is to hurt the person who they feel violated their sacred ground.

Here’s the thing. My videos are designed to help those who wish to learn. These people soak up the new thoughts like sponges and make everything I do worthwhile.

The challenge is getting through the dangerous ground occupied by the entrenched without getting killed.

About Paul McGowan

Paul McGowan is the co-founder of PS Audio (The 'P' ) and has been designing, building and enjoying high end audio since 1974. He lives in Boulder Colorado with his wife Terri and his four sons: Lon, Sean, Scott and Rob. His hobbies include hiking, skiing, cooking, artisan bread baking. His current big project, other than playing with stereos, is writing a book series called the Carbon Chronicles. Book One, the Lost Chronicle, is a work in progress. You can view his efforts at http://www.paulmcgowan.com

68 COMMENTS

Hang in there Paul, you do a way better job than I ever could at not offending while educating with correct information.

BTW, you think your listeners are opinionated and vicious, try explaining the difference between AC resistance (Z), DC resistance (R), and so called “box-rise” to bunch of teenage or twenty-something bassheads in the forums.

People don’t like to be told they’re wrong, even if they are. Influencing people’s views is increasingly difficult in a post-truth world. Trump and Fox News are an embodiment of this reality, although it is nothing new. You have to try and change their reality. The one thing that struck me about Trump is that when he goes on holiday or travels, he hates to stay anywhere that he doesn’t own. It perfectly illustrates how someone is intensely uncomfortable as soon as they are literally on someone else’s territory.
A symptom of this change is that after more than 40 years Carlsberg have had to drop one of the greatest advertising catchlines ever: “Probably the best lager in the world”. The subtlety of this has now been lost and new markets don’t understand it.
I think post-truth is here to stay for quite a while, so if PS Audio make speakers it’s no good saying they are the best speakers in the world and why, people’s reality has to be influenced to think they are. That’s brand value. They then may become influencers. Whether it is the best speaker, or car, or hoover, really is irrelevant and entirely relative, because we are dealing with human perception and there is no absolute truth.

Trump is the perfect example of a long developing phenomenon. I had in mind a book written over 10 years ago by a Christian Realist author, I forget who, who uses as examples the selling of professional wrestling, pornography and religion (but not audio). Clinton may have been a liar, but he was empathic, viz. his key role in the the Northern Ireland Peace accords and he was a great persuader, at least until he met Arafat. He woulds have been a good audio salesman.
Anyway, Paul’s post wasn’t about audio, it was about his despair at trying to persuade people of (his) absolute truth.

Steven, you have a history here of Trump bashing. I can easily reference several recent posts.

Get over it. He is the President elected by the people. And don’t go off into that Electoral College rant. Even considering that, the popular vote was very close. Anyone (that is a legal citizen btw) having a problem with the Electoral College is free to petition congress to vote it out. Otherwise it’s the law of the land.

There is no one more relevant to this topic as there is no one with significant power in this world who is more divisive, bad mannered, rude and insulting. He’s proudly turned it into a modern art form, that now deems it generally acceptable. He is a reflection of our times. Otherwise, I couldn’t give a toss if the USA electorate chose Trump, Mickey Mouse or Colonel Sanders as their President, I don’t live in the USA and I’ve no plans to visit.

What really upsets me about some public discourse is the lack of humour. If you are going to be rude, then do it with humour and you will be revered in posterity. Regrettably that requires a sense of humour and intellect. Think Gulliver’s Travels, written almost 300 years ago. Churchill won a Nobel Prize for literature but was master of the political insult.

This is getting silly, but is quite illustrative. I’m not a US citizen. I’m a PS Audio customer who commented on Paul’s upset over abusive online media comments. Now, let me think, who is the best known person on the planet who regularly uses online media to insult people? Beyonce? The Dalai Lama? …

It’s always about religion and politics/ ideologies or the personal view of the world and convictions. Thus you should be aware when you are touching or entering the individual comfort zone of the dialog partner. And religions and ideologies are not known for giving up their basic assumptions – thus they never evolve or can be reformed. They rather burn the heretic (or whistle-blower) at the stake. It needs a lot of scientific education and social cultivation to acquire self-criticism and an open mind.

The simple truth is that humans are herd animals and often respond with rage and hostility to anything that challenges them. This is not new, but I suspect it has gotten much worse in the last few decades.

Keep challenging, and sometimes, as in science, you need to just be able to ignore the most extreme results.

It is heated and dangerous because music — and its exquisite reproduction — can reach into a person’s core. I actually think it is a good thing — how sad it would be if it did not stir people’s passions. Of course, just because someone is passionate about something does not necessarily correlate with any intrinsic ‘rightness’.

Just yesterday I was reading on another forum (Roon…) about yourself Paul, and some “elements” there were taking things to the point of nearly calling you a delinquent. I wonder what kind of personal life these gentlemen / gals might have as to act in such an extreme, territorial manner and have to confess I pitied them a little…

If it is the thread I am thinking of in Roon forums I posted there myself. It was about cables which of course brings forth the most vehement of comments and opinions!! I agree with you that many of the people posting in that thread were way over the top. It’s easy for some of them to do from the basement of their parent’s home as they have no life of their own except the personality they adopt anonymously on the Internet 🙂 Paul must have some thick skin to read all that and not be so personally affected.

Unfortunately this type of behavior has always been around but I think it is getting worse in the internet age as you don’t have to worry about someone you insulted giving you a poke in the nose. We need more people to speak up even if is controversial. Personally, I like new ideas I might not accept a lot of them but I enjoy it if they make me think as to why I might disagree.

You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time lol
Treading the murky waters that is social media really does open ones eyes to human nature at its best and sadly at its worst too.
I read your posts regularly, sometimes agreeing sometimes not so much.
I’d like to say this tho Paul. I know so much more about Hi-Fi now & have a basic understanding of electronics, something which was totally alien to me before your posts came along.
TY

I concur.
Paul is one courageous individual for attempting to explain, in simplest terms, the most complex/ esoteric aspects of electronics, physics, engineering, signal processing, synthesis, acoustics, yada, to what are essentially “lay people”, all the while knowing that he is surrounded – both literally and figuratively – by experts & ‘wannabe’ experts in those areas. — Kudos, Mr. McGowan!

Music should not be dangerous just as education should not be dangerous. What is this saying about how our society seems to be becoming more dichotomized? Analog vs. digital, tubes vs. solid-state, and now, of course, the now ubiquitous political intrusion of the left and the right as referenced above. The distribution of opinion on almost any issue is becoming barbell shaped, with populated extremes on both ends. Have you noticed? The violent swings of a pendulum clock “loosing it”?
Truman

We live in a world where it seems it is totally acceptable to blurt out the rudest, most insensitive comments without any constraint whatsoever. It’s this whole social media thing that has turned compassionate caring people that used to talk and discuss with one another into people that can only communicate through their devices . Little minds pressing litttle keys with little hands. I am not on Facebook or Twitter because I don’t care to be part of the fray.

Paul – As far as your videos and posts, keep them coming! My wife and I were able to visit Boulder back in early May, and your whole staff was basically made available to show us around and made us feel special that day. We are certain this fine behavior is an extension of you and the rest of your family. We truly appreciated it. It speaks volumes of what PS Audio is now and what it will be way into the future. You guys are building more than just audio equipment.

I’ve viewed the vast majority of your videos. For the life of me, I can’t think of one that would have insulted anyone in any way. Certainly, not to the point to initiate painful or hurtful responses. The sad truth is there are a lot of people out there who are insecure to the point of acting irrational. Watch your back!

It’s the anonymity. Hateful posters may or may not feel “religious” about audio or music or whatever. They don’t need to feel threatened, they just need to know they can lash out at someone from a relatively safe space. For them, it’s not necessarily an exercise of their First Amendment rights, it’s the privilege of hurling rocks down from a highway overpass.

First of all, I like PSAudio and mr. McGowan’s approach. And over the years I contributed several times a considerable amount of dollars to keep him satisfied and the company financially sound (afterwards my bank account was less sound, but that’s ok).
Having said that, I like to stay critical. In audio there are as many opinions as tastes.
Also when I read Paul’s daily posts. Nice to read, but just another opinion.
Sometimes I like what I read, sometimes not so much, e.g. when the upcoming BHK was announced as “one of the 5 best amps”
in the world. For me a commercial and meaningless catchphrase. And I think PSAudio does not need that.
Just tell the world you make a fantastic sounding amp (that’s indeed what it is !) and let other companies do the stupid catchphrasing.
So I’m not the kind of person who thinks “whoopee” with every sentence I read.
Unlike some readers (my impression at least) here who are not critical at all and (wanna) believe everything their favorite company/brand (e.g. PSAudio) says.
The dedicated followers, who are saving feverishly already for the upcoming speakers (IRS killers). A “must have”, although they never heard them and what they would sound like in their system in their home. Or the BHK or DMP for that matter, same story.
So I like people with a critical attitude, not only when reading reviews, but also this daily posts.
I don’t like it when it turns into aggression or even hostility, as Paul mentions in today’s post. Stupid people.
Most writers don’t deserve that, least of all Paul McGowan, who strikes me as a very nice and decent man.
(but let’s stay critical, maybe he smacks his poor wife every day..).

I’m always baffled how people can get emotionally worked up about consumer electronics. It has occurred to me this NEVER happens in discussions about music. People respectfully disagree about Beethoven versus Mozart or Beatles versus Stones. Never any aggression. I believe this is because there is no controversy about the inherently subjective nature of musical taste.

However, since consumer electronics are engineering products, the fanatics feel that a position that is inconsistent with their belief, calls into question the validity of the (non subject) laws of physics or some other absolute (non subjective) engineering principle. This can evoke a violent reaction from what I would call engineering fundamentalists, who take this as a form of blasphemy. Just a though.

Time will tell if mass media (like youtube or facebook) is the right place to address communication and information concerning such hobbies. I guess rather not, better just at places where people come with positive intention like the PSAsite.

Audio industry people and serious hobbyists often forget that for 99% of folks this is a very snobbish hobby, they have no positive associations with. It’s like if a high end watch company wants to explain the virtues of an expensive watch to youtube folks…I guess they’d get mostly shit storms, even if they do it well and with good intention.

This happens to so many of the good YouTube channels and it’s a real shame for those of us tuning in for the intentions of the channel. Content creators slowly become less engaged with their audience and moderating their own thoughts and opinions…if for no other reason other than the sheer size of the audience or from fearing the blowback is just not worth it. Remember the folks you’re getting through to. New Audiophiles, like myself, looking to learn a thing or two. I’m choosing PS Audio to journey with for this exciting newfound hobby and it’s mostly because of your videos. Personally, I wish you’d be more opinionated. A lifetime of experience is why I tune in.

Hi Paul, I thank you for taking the time and giving back the way you do. I follow your YouTube videos and enjoy the ongoing process of learning and understanding the concepts you try to teach those with less understanding (like myself). I hope you don’t mind me saying you remind me of my grandfather who always took the time to explain things so I’d understand the concept and the science behind it. Many of those lessons I still recall 30 years on. Don’t change…and thank you from sunny South Africa!

What a disappointment – I thought this post was going to be about how to more-effectively ground my new PSAudio amp/preamp to improve the sound!
I continue to be amazed at the power of social media for a business – when used in an authentic and truly helpful manner.
I just bought a new gravel bike. The choice came down to A, O or S. O has a down-to-earth approach to social media with truly helpful information, a fun attitude, OPINIONS and a crazy enthusiastic global community. When a friend asked why i chose O, i listed the technical reasons and then realized i had to add that I liked their culture.
Keep up the great work, Paul.

Hang in there Paul. We are living in crazy times, and people are ‘ratcheted up’ more than in the past. With some luck this will change in the future. In the meantime, you offer a calming distraction from the ‘real world’ around us, aside from saving the world from bad sound. I think that’s a good days work. 😉

First of all your utube posts make a l lot of sense because the are fact based and are an excellent source of real information. Keep up the good work. Those with an open mind find them very informative I am sure. As to those who get upset could it be a sense of insecurity that is resulting in this response. Some people do get quite upset if one does not agree with them even if they are wrong. Be yourself. Just develop a slightly thicker skin We are living an electronic world where civil behaviour is not required since people are faceless. Regards.

While I don’t always agree with you, (heck I don’t even always agree with myself!) I always find your correspondence interesting and professional. If we all agreed on everything the same way, this would be a very boring World. Keep up the good work, Paul. Your posts and videos make my day.

I can not afford the BHK Paul was teaching about…. But, I was learning truths that I will apply. Paul’s posts about BHK convinced me to switch back to a tube preamp.. balanced no less. To be used with the Stellar S300.
Others get angry and just mope…. LEARN! There is always something that can be applied to your situation if we would be open to learn audio truths and not slam the door shut because we can not have what is being spoken about.

Thoughtless bad manners are just that bad manners ………………………………………….. there never should be a reason why one cannot disagree with certain positions it is then up to that individual to considerately and intelligently present their counter arguments.
It seems to often things are expressed without any thought or interspection of the ‘why’ of how do I know or believe this, where does it diverge, does it expand or clarify or contradict what I know or understand. It is then our responsibility if we wish to respond to take ownership of our positions and think about how our message maybe received by people who may not agree with you.
If all you have provided is vitriol and an angry outburst your opinion is not worth reading or engaging in, you may want to ask yourself the question ‘why’ that maybe so, but that is a much more complicated subject best answered by the professionals.

In a long career as an engineer I have often had disagreements, even strong disagreements with other engineers and scientists about various theories, hardware etc. In all those instances I can never recall even once the rancor I see on these audio boards. This phenomenon is often so irrational that it reminds me more of a religion than any serious discussion of the topic at hand. For example just recently I disputed Michael Fremer’s claim that vinyl phonograph records were better technology than CDs. He got himself so worked up and angry that he insulted me calling me an antisemitic Nazi. Then he told me about all of the hate mail he gets. I had no respect for his technical opinions to begin with, and I knew he was not going to be convinced by me but I was entirely civil. The same could not be said for him though. He behaved like an irrational raving lunatic. After that I had no respect for him as a man either. I’m not singling him out, I’m just using him as an example. When I disagree with someone and they start calling me names or insulting me, I recognize that as a sure sign that I’ve won. It means they have no rational arguments left to support their views and have to resort to irrationality revealing just how angry they are that they lost. I’ve come to expect it from audiophiles. I think Edgar Choueiri was in that boat on Copper magazine. Two issues ago we had a debate about sound and hearing. In the second part of the interview in the following issue he never even responded to my questions. I was going to visit his lab to see what he had accomplished but I’m not sure I’m welcome there anymore. I was also going to offer to show him the results of my efforts but I may pass on that also. I really don’t want an unpleasant direct encounter with him. I’m not afraid of such encounters thinking I’ll get my brains bashed in, quite the opposite. Being a street smart kid from the Bronx I can use words to really hurt people and only on the rarest of occasions do I feel in retrospect it was justified. I don’t use four letter words because they are ineffective and I have far more powerful ways to verbally abuse people if that’s what I want to do. I can hardly think of something less important in this world to argue about than high end audio equipment. To me it was just another technical challenge, an engineering problem to be solved. I get no more worked up about it than I would solving a mathematical equation or a crossword puzzle.

“I can hardly think of something less important in this world to argue about than high end audio equipment.”
And yet you have devoted more column inches on the Paul’s Posts and Copper forums doing precisely that than anybody else I am aware of!

There is a glaring trend in the responses to Paul’s post today. Most here assume what ever Paul posts either here or on You Tube is 100% accurate and correct.

Well sometimes it’s not! Now perhaps some of that is the very broad strokes Paul takes in explaining electronic theory as few audiophiles have that background. But nevertheless not everything he, I, or anyone posts is ALWAYS 100% accurate.

Furthermore many of Paul’s comments are OPINIONS! They have no scientific backing or proof. And some claims are simply to impossible measure or quantify. And that’s OK. But don’t mistake those for fact.

You can dispute opinions presenting counter arguments with facts if you have them civilly. Paul does not expect everyone to agree with him all the time. He’s usually ready to engage in a discussion. People can agree to disagree. But when it goes from being a debate about theories, differences of opinion, to rancor and attacks on people it is no longer acceptable. I have disagreed with Paul many times but I don’t think there has ever been a harsh word between us. Why would I insult my friend who is so generous with his time and effort giving advice and the benefit of his observations to so many people for free? Disagree with him or anyone else about ideas but attacking ideas is not the same as attacking people and that is where the line must be drawn to prevent the kind of flame wars I’ve left other sites for.

Agree with the comments of staying critical but respectfully. I have to say that Paul have slowly become a YouTube star In audiophile circles. While I might not agree with everything I love watching the videos. Also funny that while he said his intention is not to advertise, Just because of his personality and honest approach I am just craving to buy a PS audio product. I just feel I want to be part of the family. If that’s intentional or not it’s genious. Either way keep it up.

As many others, I’m a big fan of Darko.audio. Not long ago, John Darko disabled commenting on his web site which, I think, added a certain elegance.

Paul – what value are the comments on your YT channel bringing to the table? Viewers can submit questions via email so why not experiment by disabling comments on your YT channel and, after a certain number of posts or time period, check your metrics and see if # of views have decreased or not.

Paul please continue sharing your knowledge and experience. No doubt there are people who use nastiness as a weapon because they have been taught to use emotions rather than distinguishing between “opinion” and “facts”. For whatever reason civility is a sign of weakness for some people. As such when the emotional brain overrules the rational brain, communication becomes ineffective and critical-thinking skills vanish. As a human being, I am sorry that you receive personal attacks because it is totally unnecessary. But again, please continue to educate the masses and mixing-in some opinion is inevitable unless one is a member of the herd.

It is sad that a person’s opinion triggers such responses. Some people just can’t respect boundaries, regardless of the topic. Or maybe they are so insecure that they feel threatened by a differing opinion. But it’s important to continue, because they are the minority. Watch handmaids tale for a glimpse of the future without acceptance of opposing ideas.

I feel triggered by these posts so will retreat to my safe sound cave after this;) Thanks Paul for transparently sharing knowledge just like an open source community/project. It is refreshing to see someone with a modern approach to audio and the drive to achieve new levels. Let’s keep the politics off this board folks. It will be far more constructive, popular and effective.

Dig into a bit of history and you’ll realize the “news” has been “fake” for quite some time. Nothing new here. Edward Bernays’ books “Crystallizing Public Opinion” and “Propaganda” are still in print and convincingly make the case and show how it’s done.

Fast forward to today and Social Media has put these time-tested techniques on steroids – and taken stupidity and bad manners and weaponized them.

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